Repression and the Indignados in Mexico

Two normal school students were killed by police in Guerrero during their
protest against privatization of education, one of the main themes for the
indignados in Mexico. A demonstration took place in Oaxaca by Oaxaca’s
teachers, and probably in other states as well. The indignados are not
protesting the cross-national traffic in drugs, weapons, and money
laundering, although the left-wind media mention that there are now more
than 60,000 dead since Calderon became president, and some of the family
members of the disappeared who marched and protested have been murdered as
well. *Proceso* has been running articles non-stop about the US/Mexico
narco Sinaloa connection, not naming either president or high officials.
Nor do they skimp on following the families’ /Sicilia’s peace with justice
and dignity movement. In that context about 25,000 Mexicans signed a
petition for international human rights investigation into Calderon, who is
real pissed off and threatening the signers with prison. Mexico teeters on
the brink of fascist repression; the good news today being that Guerrero’s
gov fired a bunch of public safety and police officials. Hopefully the ones
guilty in the normal students’ slaying..

One author writes that the indignado/99% phenomenon is very much a youth
thing as younger people see themselves locked out of a jobs and education.
That’s true, also in Latin America (Chile and Columbia) it fits. It’s
mainly young men who end up as victims in the drug war. But to my eye,
thinking of the indignados, that seems too broad a brush because too many
other age groups are affected by unemployment, and of course the parents
who cannot send their kids to university are affected as more and more
university seats are eliminated or replaced with tv teachers and monitors
instead of human interaction.

The rich/poor gap is inexorably widening on both sides of the border.
Carlos Slim, the richest man on the planet, doesn’t seem to have much to
say, however. And in Oaxaca they are building new hotels (if you’re in
town, check out the newly renovated pink building next to Casa del la
Ciudad, on Porfitrio Diaz.) I think Harp Helú threw in some dough because
of its historic significance, but the property I beleive (correct me if
wrong) belongs to Lenin Lopez (radio stations, automobiles) who just let it
decay until this hotel rescue. Who’s coming to visit, you rich guys?